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Closings, Street Use & Special Events

Sometimes the City must close street lanes or all access to certain roads. This may be necessary for maintenance and repair work, winter weather or other hazardous conditions, or improvements to the infrastructure. Parades, festivals, and other special events may also affect street closings. When closures are necessary, CDOT makes every effort to coordinate work to minimize impact to motorists, pedestrians, and area businesses and close for the least amount of time. Notices are sent to the media and public as requested and also published on this website.

Uptown Street Use and Special Event Documents

Application for Special Events, Parades and Festivals

Street Use and Event Notice (SUN)

Race Sign Specifications(PDF, 178KB)

Beer and Wine Permits

A permit from the Charlotte Department of Transportation is required to temporarily close a street, or a portion thereof for a community sponsored event at which beer and wine is to be sold, distributed or consumed on the streets, sidewalks and public areas. Due to sizable insurance requirements most applications are for major events.

If your plans include alcoholic beverages, view the City Beer-Wine Permit Application (PDF, 79KB)or call CDOT at 704.336.5531.

If an Alcohol Permit is needed for a private event such as a wedding reception, please call the Alcohol Beverage Commission in Raleigh, NC at 919.779.0700 or visit ABC General Permit Information Website.

Neighborhoods

Block Party Requests

Citizens may petition for a temporary street/block closing for community functions such as block parties. The City welcomes such activities and CDOT is prepared to assist.

If interested, take the following steps:

Plan your activity in advance. Block party requests require a completed petition at least 30 DAYS prior to an event.
Read the Neighborhood Block Closing Regulations(PDF, 134KB) and ensure your location meets all requirements.
Submit block party application to Cityworks Portal.
Complete the Neighborhood Block Party Request Petition by acquiring signatures from 51% of the residents on the affected portion of the street being closed and submit to CDOT as an attachment with your application in the Cityworks portal. If you are unable to attach your petition, you can submit it via email at blockpartypermits@charlottenc.gov. Petitions should be submitted within 3 days of your block party submission, or your permit request will be canceled.
A CDOT representative will contact you when your permit is approved and will help guide you as to where to close your street and what equipment to use. The City does not provide barricades to block streets. Residents are required to provide their own barricades.
Remember that streets must be closed from intersection (cross street) to intersection (cross street). For instance, you cannot block off a portion of a street in front of only a few homes.

For questions or concerns, please email:

Blockpartypermits@charlottenc.gov

To send application via mail:

Charlotte Department of Transportation
Attn: Block Party Permits
600 E. Fourth Street 6th Floor
Charlotte, NC 28202

Decorative Sign (Banner) Application

The City of Charlotte implemented a Decorative Sign (Banner) Ordinance in July 2011. To display a decorative sign, please do the following:

Read the ordinance(PDF, 35KB) and Amended Decorative Sign Policies And Guidelines(PDF, 23KB).
Submit an hold harmless agreement(PDF, 12KB) to the Charlotte Department of Transportation.

If interested in displaying a decorative sign in the Uptown area, Charlotte Center City Partners coordinates this effort. Apply here.

Decorative sign means a pictorial representation, including illustrations, words, numbers, or decorations; emblem; flag; banner; pennant, that promotes or celebrates the city, its neighborhoods, civic institutions, or public activities and events in the city. Decorative signs may either be designed and displayed by the City directly or donated to the City on a permanent basis or for a limited period of time.

Request for a Street Name Change

Citizens may request that the names of streets within the Charlotte City Limits be changed. A petition of 75% of the property owners on the street will be required for non-agency/departmental requests.

The petition form will be sent to the citizen making the request as soon as the recommended name is reviewed to make sure it is not a duplication or a prohibited name.

Guidelines for Street Names

Name plus two-letter type (Rd, St, Ln, etc) cannot exceed 21 letters
Name should include a roadway type
No directional prefixes or suffixes (N, S, E W)
No duplication. For example, Parsons Dr., when there is already a Parsons Rd., is not permissible, but Parsons Hill Rd would be acceptable.
Street names involving a full name of an individual are discouraged where the individual's last name only is an available name
A full continuous street name along the length of a street is encouraged. This discourages the Morehead-Queens- Providence situation.
Possibly offensive names are not permitted
No business names
No punctuation